Long days make for short nights and early mornings. The workload on our legislative agenda has initiated that routine throughout the last couple of weeks. However, a lot has been accomplished and now we are in the home stretch.

LB 887, the Medicaid Expansion bill, failed to get the 33 votes needed to invoke cloture, and so this measure will not be brought up for debate again this session.

LB 814 – redefines all-terrain vehicle, utility-type vehicle, and sales price, change sales and use tax provisions relating to ATV’s and UTV’s, and changes duties of sellers in the distribution of sales tax revenue to provide funding to Game and Parks.

LB 853 – changes and renames acts, a register, and an advisory committee relating to children and young adults and requires case manager training as prescribed.

LB 884 – (my 2014 priority bill) requires that organizers of exotic animal auctions and swap meets obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture to hold their event, and that a licensed veterinarian be at the sale to inspect the animals.

LB 526 – allows optometrists to perform minor surgery, including removal of superficial eyelid, conjunctival, and corneal foreign bodies, and use pharmaceutical agents in treatments, including injections into the eyelid for treatment of cysts or infected or inflamed glands.

LB 800 – provides for designation of enterprise zones and preferences in certain business incentive programs.

LB 999 – another part of the prison reform measures – focuses on helping inmates successfully re-enter the community when they leave prison, sets up a system to treat inmates with mental health issues and drug and alcohol addictions. It also would create a 200-bed treatment facility at the former Hastings Regional Center.

LB 1092 – authorizes issuance of highway construction bonds.

LB 1115 – appropriates funds to the Nebraska Power Board for a study and state public policy.